Black Forest Labs' 12 billion parameter distilled image generation model optimized for speed, capable of generating high-quality images in just 4 inference steps
Settled by community votes across 13 shared challenges, with an AI judge weighing in on each.
FLUX.1 [schnell]
18.7
arena score
#48 of 62 in Text-to-Image
Skill signature
· Text-to-Image
Seedream 4.0
24.7
arena score
#15 of 62 in Text-to-Image
Vote tally
Where the votes landed
FLUX.1 [schnell]
0.0%
win rate
Ties
0.0%
Seedream 4.0
100.0%
win rate
0.0%
0.0% ties
100.0%
Shared challenges
13
Challenge by challenge
The strongest take from each model on every shared challenge, with the AI judge's read.
Geometric Composition
Text-to-Image“A glass cube on a wooden table. Inside the cube is a small blue sphere. On top of the cube sits a red book. A green plant is behind the cube, partially visible through the glass. Soft window light from the left.”
FLUX.1 [schnell]
Seedream 4.0
AI Judge Analysis
FLUX.1 [schnell]
- + Excellent texture rendering on the book and table.
- + High clarity and sharp focus throughout the image.
- + Good use of depth of field with the plant in the background.
- − Added an extra blue sphere on top of the book that was not requested.
- − The sphere inside the cube is floating rather than sitting on the bottom.
- − The cube is shaped more like an open glass stand than a solid or enclosed cube.
Seedream 4.0
- + Perfect adherence to the spatial requirements of the prompt.
- + Realistic reflections of the sphere on the base of the cube.
- + Very natural lighting and shadow quality on the wooden table.
- − The glass cube appears slightly rectangular rather than perfectly cubic.
- − The green plant is somewhat small and less detailed compared to its counterpart.
Verdict: Seedream 4.0 is the clear winner because it correctly followed every instruction in the prompt, whereas FLUX.1 [schnell] hallucinated an additional sphere on top of the book. Seedream 4.0 also demonstrated much better spatial logic, placing the sphere inside the cube naturally rather than making it float.
Candid Street Photography
Text-to-Image“A candid street photo of an elderly Japanese man repairing a red bicycle in light rain, reflections on wet pavement, shallow depth of field, 50mm lens, natural skin texture, imperfect framing, motion blur from passing cars, cinematic but realistic, no stylization.”
FLUX.1 [schnell]
Seedream 4.0
AI Judge Analysis
FLUX.1 [schnell]
- + Excellent photographic quality and lighting
- + Realistic skin textures and reflections
- + Well-executed shallow depth of field
- − Static vehicles fail to show the requested motion blur
- − The bicycle has a structural error with no seat post connecting the seat to the frame
- − Man is older and 'candid' but pose is less focused on 'repairing'
Seedream 4.0
- + Accurately captures motion blur from a passing car
- + Stronger narrative of 'repairing' with tools visible on the ground
- + Successful 'imperfect framing' that feels like a genuine street photo
- − Noticeable artifacts on the spokes of the front wheel
- − Skin textures are slightly smoother and less detailed than Image A
- − Visual clarity is lower overall
Verdict: Seedream 4.0 adhered much better to the specific technical requests of the prompt, successfully incorporating motion blur, tools, and a convincing repair pose, despite several visual artifacts in the bicycle's spokes. FLUX.1 [schnell] produced a cleaner, more aesthetically pleasing image with superior lighting and texture, but it failed the motion blur requirement and featured a nonsensical floating bicycle seat.
Fantasy Warrior
Text-to-Image“Close portrait of a battle-worn paladin in ornate engraved plate armor, hair braided with small beads, faint scars and dirt on the skin, warm torchlight reflecting off metal, shallow depth of field, bokeh sparks, lifelike eyes, highly detailed texture on leather straps and cloth underlayer.”
FLUX.1 [schnell]
Seedream 4.0
AI Judge Analysis
FLUX.1 [schnell]
- + Extremely detailed skin texture and facial features
- + Intense, lifelike gaze with high clarity
- − Missed the request for small beads in the braids
- − The plate armor is barely visible in the crop
- − Lack of bokeh sparks compared to the other model
Seedream 4.0
- + Excellent adherence to all prompt elements including beads and bokeh sparks
- + Beautifully rendered ornate engraved plate armor with realistic lighting
- + High-quality texture on leather straps and cloth underlayer
- − Slightly less skin pore detail compared to Model A
- − Facial scars are a bit subtle
Verdict: Seedream 4.0 is the clear winner as it followed every detail of the prompt, including the specific requests for hair beads, bokeh sparks, and the material textures of the armor and leather. FLUX.1 [schnell] produced a very high-quality facial close-up but failed to include several secondary descriptive elements requested in the prompt.
Modern Clean Menu
Text-to-Image“Modern minimalist restaurant menu design, white background with colorful food photos in grid, sections for appetizers/pizza/mains, bold sans-serif fonts, vibrant accents, clean professional layout for casual dining.”
FLUX.1 [schnell]
Seedream 4.0
AI Judge Analysis
FLUX.1 [schnell]
- + Excellent adherence to the minimalist restaurant menu layout request.
- + Includes descriptive text blocks that mimic a real menu structure.
- + Successfully follows the specific section headers requested (Appetizers, Pizza, Mains).
- − The placeholder text for the menu items is gibberish.
- − Image quality in the small food photos is slightly repetitive.
Seedream 4.0
- + High resolution and realistic food photography.
- + Bold, clear typography for the requested section headers.
- − Fails to create a 'menu design', looking more like a mood board or collage.
- − Completely lacks any menu descriptions or pricing structure.
- − Formatting is cluttered with text overlapping the white background inconsistently.
Verdict: FLUX.1 [schnell] followed the prompt much more effectively by creating a functional-looking menu layout with distinct sections for titles, descriptions, and images. Seedream 4.0 produced higher-quality individual food photos but failed the core task of designing a 'menu', essentially creating an unorganized image collage instead.
Magic Burger Explosion: Fiery Photorealism Challenge
Text-to-Image“Ad for 'Magic Burger'. Dynamic, exploded burger with all components (bun, patty, cheese, lettuce, tomato, sauce) suspended in mid-air. Emphasize photorealistic detail and a sense of motion. Dark, fiery background with glowing embers. Integrate text: 'MAGIC BURGER' as a prominent title, 'LIMITED TIME ONLY' as a secondary message, and '€6.99' in a starburst, all rendered with a fiery, glowing effect.”
FLUX.1 [schnell]
Seedream 4.0
AI Judge Analysis
FLUX.1 [schnell]
- + The lighting on the burger patty and cheese is highlights-rich and photorealistic.
- + Good use of glowing embers and fire in the background composition.
- + Follows the starburst requirement for the price tag.
- − Text rendering is poor, with 'AGIC' instead of 'MAGIC' and confusing price overlaps (6.99 vs €699).
- − The burger is mostly assembled rather than 'exploded' into mid-air components.
- − The floating objects surrounding the burger look like generic croutons or nuggets rather than burger ingredients.
Seedream 4.0
- + Perfect execution of the 'exploded' burger concept with clearly separated, floating layers.
- + The 'MAGIC BURGER' text is rendered beautifully with a fiery, glowing effect as requested.
- + Strong sense of motion with circular motion blur trails around the ingredients.
- − The price tag shows '€5.99' instead of the requested '€6.99'.
- − Double burger patty composition was not specifically requested, though it adds to the visual.
Verdict: Seedream 4.0 followed the creative brief much more effectively, specifically the 'exploded' concept and the fiery text styling. While FLUX.1 [schnell] had slightly better texture on the meat, it failed significantly on the text rendering (spelling 'AGIC') and the layout of the price starburst.
Chalkboard Menu
Text-to-Image“Handwritten-style chalkboard menu in a cozy café, all text rendered in the exact same realistic chalk handwriting style with natural variations in letter size, slight slant, and chalk texture — no printed or digital fonts anywhere on the board. Title at the top in elegant cursive chalk handwriting: ‘TODAY’S SPECIALS – APRIL 30, 2026’. Below it, three menu items also in the same handwritten chalk style: ‘Truffle Mushroom Risotto – $24’, ‘Grilled Octopus with Lemon & Herbs – $28’, ‘Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies – $9’. At the very bottom, smaller text in the identical handwritten chalk style (slightly smaller but still clearly legible with the same handwriting characteristics): ‘All items made fresh daily • Ask about our gluten-free options’. Warm ambient café lighting, visible chalk dust and smudges, realistic handwriting imperfections, no clean printed text anywhere.”
FLUX.1 [schnell]
Seedream 4.0
0% wins
0% ties
100% wins
AI Judge Analysis
FLUX.1 [schnell]
- + Legible, clean text rendering
- + Natural-looking cafe background bokeh
- − Numerous spelling errors including 'Pril', 'Taffle', and 'Lemors'
- − Text style looks like a digital marker rather than realistic chalk texture
- − Failed to include the elegant cursive style for the header
Seedream 4.0
- + Perfect adherence to spelling and specific menu items
- + Excellent chalk texture and realistic smudge effects on the board
- + Strong adherence to formatting requests including cursive title and handwritten style
- − The board has heavy smudges which might slightly impact readability on the left side
Verdict: Seedream 4.0 followed the prompt perfectly, rendering every complex menu item correctly and capturing the authentic texture of chalk on a board. FLUX.1 [schnell] struggled significantly with spelling and presented a very flat, digital-looking font that did not match the 'chalkboard' aesthetic requested.
The Reversed Rodeo
Text-to-Image“Horse riding astronaut in space — horse on top, not vice versa. Surreal, highly detailed, cinematic.”
FLUX.1 [schnell]
Seedream 4.0
AI Judge Analysis
FLUX.1 [schnell]
- + Perfectly follows the specific instruction of the horse riding on top of the astronaut
- + Strong cinematic lighting with a pleasing atmospheric color palette
- + High anatomical detail on the space suit and saddle
- − The horse has two heads/torsos merging into one
- − The astronaut's anatomy is a bit abstract and confusing due to the pose
Seedream 4.0
- + High resolution and Sharp textures throughout the image
- + Beautiful rendering of the nebulae and reflection in the visor
- − Fails the primary prompt instruction by placing the astronaut on top
- − Lacks the surreal composition requested by the prompt
- − Traditional interpretation rather than the unique role reversal requested
Verdict: FLUX.1 [schnell] followed the difficult spatial constraints of the prompt, successfully placing the horse on top of the astronaut, despite some anatomical merging issues with the horse's heads. Seedream 4.0 ignored the 'horse on top' instruction entirely, providing a standard astronaut-on-top image. FLUX.1 [schnell] is the winner for following the specific surreal requirements.
The Capybara Taxi Driver
Text-to-Image“Photorealistic scene inside a yellow New York taxi at night. A capybara is driving, wearing a yellow taxi driver cap and a dark jacket. It has a calm, professional expression and both front paws on the steering wheel. In the back seat sits a human businesswoman in a coat, looking at her phone with a completely normal, bored expression (as if this is just another normal ride). Through the windows you can see the streets of Manhattan at night with blurred lights. Realistic taxi interior, photorealistic, detailed fur and fabric, 35mm lens, night lighting with reflections, shallow depth of field.”
FLUX.1 [schnell]
Seedream 4.0
AI Judge Analysis
FLUX.1 [schnell]
- + Excellent text rendering on the hat
- + Superior photorealistic quality in the passenger's face and phone interaction
- + Atmospheric lighting consistent with a night scene
- − The capybara only has one paw near the wheel
- − The capybara appears to be sitting in the passenger seat as the wheel is on the left but the car door frame is too close to the camera
Seedream 4.0
- + Accurately places both front paws on the steering wheel
- + Stronger composition showing the exterior and interior of the taxi simultaneously
- + Great portrayal of the bored expression requested for the passenger
- − Text on the hat is nonsensical
- − Low-quality rendering of the capybara's hands/paws which look slightly unnatural
- − Passenger's face is slightly blurry compared to the foreground
Verdict: Seedream 4.0 followed the specific structural instructions better by placing both paws on the wheel and capturing the 'bored' expression of the passenger more effectively. FLUX.1 [schnell] produced a higher quality, more polished image with better text and lighting, but struggled with the specific 'both paws' requirement and the spatial logic of the taxi interior.
The Halloween Invitation
Text-to-Image“Vintage gothic Halloween party invitation. Dark parchment poster, spooky border with webs and thorns, central glowing jack-o-lantern, bats, twisted trees, moody night sky. Add elegant gothic title text saying "Halloween Party Invitation", a small scroll banner saying "You are invited to a night of frights", and event details at the bottom: Date: 30.10.2026 Time: 7pm Location: The Arches, NYC Spooky but polished, cinematic lighting, square format.”
FLUX.1 [schnell]
Seedream 4.0
AI Judge Analysis
FLUX.1 [schnell]
- + Includes all specific date and location text
- + Clean, graphic design layout with good contrast
- − Nonsense extra lines of text like 'Fate: butistigtion'
- − Spelling errors in secondary text such as 'firiichts'
- − Less cinematic lighting compared to the prompt requirements
Seedream 4.0
- + Excellent atmospheric lighting and cinematic textures
- + Accurate and high-quality rendition of the thorn and web border
- + High level of detail in the jack-o-lantern and twisted trees
- − Slightly blurry text on the small scroll banner
- − Missing some parchment texture in the central background area
Verdict: FLUX.1 [schnell] creates a more traditional poster layout but fails significantly on text legibility and accuracy, including several lines of gibberish. Seedream 4.0 captures the 'cinematic lighting' and 'spooky but polished' aesthetic perfectly, with much more impressive visual details and accurate text rendering for the event details.
Isometric Miniature Diorama Scenes
Text-to-Image“Create a clear, 45° top-down isometric miniature 3D cartoon scene of Japan's signature dish: sushi, with soft refined textures, realistic PBR materials, gentle lighting, on a small raised diorama base with minimal garnish and plate. Solid light blue background. At top-center: 'JAPAN' in large bold text, 'SUSHI' below it, small flag icon. Perfectly centered, ultra-clean, high-clarity, square format.”
FLUX.1 [schnell]
Seedream 4.0
AI Judge Analysis
FLUX.1 [schnell]
- + Perfect adherence to the isometric perspective and diorama style.
- + Extremely clean, minimalist aesthetic with professional lighting.
- + Accurate rendering of the Japanese flag and 'JAPAN' text.
- − Missed the 'SUSHI' text entirely.
- − The sushi roll itself has slightly messy interior textures compared to the overall clean scene.
Seedream 4.0
- + Includes all requested text elements: 'JAPAN' and 'SUSHI'.
- + Contains a more varied and visually interesting arrangement of sushi.
- + Excellent 3D cartoon textures that feel tactile and appetizing.
- − The 'SUSHI' text is slightly misaligned with the flag.
- − The background lighting is a bit harsher with less 'soft' refinement compared to Model A.
Verdict: Seedream 4.0 is the overall winner for following the complex text instructions more accurately, including both requested words and the icon. While FLUX.1 [schnell] produced a cleaner, more professional diorama look, it failed to include the secondary text and its single sushi piece was less visually compelling than the variety offered by Seedream 4.0.
Adorable Baby Animals in Sunny Meadow
Text-to-Image“Hyper-photorealistic scene of fluffy baby animals—a golden retriever puppy, tabby kitten, baby bunny, and red fox kit—with big expressive eyes and ultra-detailed soft fur, playfully chasing butterflies and tumbling together in a lush wildflower meadow, warm golden sunrise light with god rays and dew sparkles, joyful wholesome vibe, 8K masterpiece.”
FLUX.1 [schnell]
Seedream 4.0
AI Judge Analysis
FLUX.1 [schnell]
- + Excellent fur texture and lighting detail on the puppy
- + Vibrant, warm color palette that fits the 'golden sunrise' theme
- − Failed to include a distinct baby bunny, instead creating a cat-bunny hybrid
- − Composition is very static with the animals just sitting rather than 'playfully chasing and tumbling'
Seedream 4.0
- + Successfully included all four distinct animals: golden retriever, tabby kitten, bunny, and fox kit
- + Dynamic composition that perfectly captures the movement and playfulness requested in the prompt
- + Beautiful atmospheric effects with god rays and sparkling dew droplets
- − The fox's front paw has some slight anatomical irregularities
- − The kitten's pose is a bit physically improbable
Verdict: Seedream 4.0 is the clear winner as it followed the complex prompt requirements much better, including all four requested animals and depicting them in active, playful poses. FLUX.1 [schnell] failed to create a recognizable bunny and the scene feels like a static portrait rather than the tumbling, chasing scene described.
Vintage Cafe Logo
Text-to-Image“Vintage minimalist restaurant logo for "Caffè Florian", retro cloche dome with steam and "Est. 1720" banner, classic typography, warm brown and cream tones, subtle texture on light background, vector emblem style.”
FLUX.1 [schnell]
Seedream 4.0
AI Judge Analysis
FLUX.1 [schnell]
- + Clean vector-style execution
- + Good color palette adherence
- − Major text spelling errors: 'CAFEÉ FRAMILAN' and '7720'
- − Missing the steam element requested in the prompt
- − Cloche dome looks more like a architectural dome than a food cloche
Seedream 4.0
- + Perfect text accuracy and spelling
- + Includes all requested elements: cloche, steam, and banner
- + Excellent vintage paper texture and shading
- − Slightly less 'minimalist' than a standard vector logo
Verdict: Seedream 4.0 followed all prompt instructions perfectly, including specific text strings and the steam detail, while maintaining a cohesive vintage aesthetic. FLUX.1 [schnell] failed significantly on the typography, misspelling both the name of the cafe and the established date.
Apollo 11: Journey to Tranquility
Text-to-Image“Create a clean, modern vector infographic poster about the Apollo 11 mission. NASA-inspired palette (navy, white, muted red, light gray). Flat-vector style, crisp lines, consistent iconography, subtle gradients only. Steps (stop at landing): 1. Launch (Saturn Vicon) 2. Earth Orbit (Earth + orbit ring icon) 3. Translunar (trajectory arc icon) 4. Lunar Orbit (Moon + orbit ring icon) 5. Descent (lunar module descending icon) 6. Landing (lunar module on the surface icon) Small supporting elements (minimal text): • Crew strip: three silhouette icons with only last names: Armstrong, Aldrin, Collins. • Landing site marker: Moon pin labeled "Tranquility" only. Layout constraints: generous margins, large readable labels, clean background with subtle stars. Vector-only, print-poster look, high resolution.”
FLUX.1 [schnell]
Seedream 4.0
AI Judge Analysis
FLUX.1 [schnell]
- + Excellent adherence to the clean, modern flat-vector style.
- + Follows the NASA-inspired color palette perfectly.
- + Successful use of crisp lines and a professional layout.
- − The text is predominantly illegible gibberish.
- − The numbered steps are not clearly laid out or logically ordered.
Seedream 4.0
- + Highly legible and accurate text for a mission overview.
- + Strictly follows the 6-step sequence requested in the prompt.
- + Excellent iconography that matches the specific stages from Launch to Landing.
- − Composition feels a bit cluttered compared to a professional infographic.
- − The scale between the upper diagram and lower 'Landing' section is disjointed.
Verdict: FLUX.1 [schnell] captures the artistic requirements of the flat-vector style much better than Seedream 4.0, but it fails completely at providing legible text. Seedream 4.0 is much more successful at creating an actually useful infographic with accurate labels, logical sequencing, and highly relevant icons like the Lunar Module. Seedream 4.0 is the winner for its functional adherence to the complex step-by-step instructions.
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